To make a long story as short as possible, I live with my girlfriend and our baby in Virginia. We got into a heated argument a few days ago over unimportant matters. Then the next day I attempted to take the baby out for one of our usual walks. Still being angry, she tried to refuse and say I couldn't and wound up grabbing the baby and physically restraining me from taking her. I reached in to try to pick her up and in the process made light physical contact with my girlfriend. I am sure you hear that kind of phrase all the time from actual woman beaters but please believe me... it was quite a light merging of bodies and I have never laid hands on any woman like that.
Anyway she immediately called the cops saying I shoved her and you can imagine how that turned out for me. I foolishly was honest and told them I did make light contact with her which they're using as an admission of guilt for assault. They lied to us and said they were going to take her and the baby to the police station for safe keeping overnight but they were really taking her to get her statement and get a warrant for my arrest. She didn't even know they were going to arrest me until after they coerced her into writing down her version of events. She and they both said she begged them not to arrest me (because she knows it was BS and just wanted to scare me or whatever) but apparently in this state it's no longer up to the victim to drop domestic assault charges because there were too many instances of wives being convinced to do it against their wills that wound up getting way worse. That totally makes sense but sucks for guys like me.
My girlfriend and I made up really quickly the next day and now we're both just wondering what, if anything, we can do to make these charges go away. Apparently it's up to the prosecutor how to proceed. Do I need a lawyer or is my girlfriends support and lack of willingness to testify against me gonna be enough? Could she get into legal trouble herself if she recants her story and says I did not shove her? Any advice is very much appreciated!
Anyway she immediately called the cops saying I shoved her and you can imagine how that turned out for me. I foolishly was honest and told them I did make light contact with her which they're using as an admission of guilt for assault. They lied to us and said they were going to take her and the baby to the police station for safe keeping overnight but they were really taking her to get her statement and get a warrant for my arrest. She didn't even know they were going to arrest me until after they coerced her into writing down her version of events. She and they both said she begged them not to arrest me (because she knows it was BS and just wanted to scare me or whatever) but apparently in this state it's no longer up to the victim to drop domestic assault charges because there were too many instances of wives being convinced to do it against their wills that wound up getting way worse. That totally makes sense but sucks for guys like me.
My girlfriend and I made up really quickly the next day and now we're both just wondering what, if anything, we can do to make these charges go away. Apparently it's up to the prosecutor how to proceed. Do I need a lawyer or is my girlfriends support and lack of willingness to testify against me gonna be enough? Could she get into legal trouble herself if she recants her story and says I did not shove her? Any advice is very much appreciated!